Iran's Sisyphean Task

by Gordon Prather

Sisyphus was a character in Greek mythology, condemned to roll a huge rock
to the top of a steep hill, with said accursed rock rolling back down again
the moment Sisyphus thought he had accomplished his task.

In the modern version of this Greek tragedy, G. Aghazadeh, Vice-President of
Iran and President of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, has been cast
as Sisyphus.

The tragedy has its origin in the 1974 agreement between Iran and the
International Atomic Energy Agency for the application of "safeguards" - in
accordance with the IAEA Statute - on certain materials and activities
proscribed by the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

The Safeguards Agreement was agreed to by Iran "for the exclusive purpose of
verification" by the IAEA "with a view of preventing diversion" of any
"source or special fissionable material" to a military purpose.

IAEA Safeguards were to be applied to all Iranian source or special
fissionable materials, whether being stored or chemically/physically
produced, processed, transformed, utilized or disposed of as waste.

Last week Mohamed ElBaradei, IAEA Director-General, made his most recent
report to the IAEA Board of Governors, entitled "Implementation of the NPT
Safeguards Agreement and relevant provisions of Security Council resolutions
1737 and 1747 in the Islamic Republic of Iran."
So, what does ElBaradei have to say about the Iranian NPT Safeguards
Agreement?

"The Agency has been able to continue to verify the non-diversion of
declared nuclear material in Iran.

"Iran has provided the Agency with access to declared nuclear material and
has provided the required nuclear material accountancy reports in connection
with declared nuclear material and activities."

Okay, that's that. The huge rock has been pushed to the top. Iran continues
to be in full compliance with all its obligations assumed as a NPT
signatory. . . .